Event Guide
2026
24-25 MARCH 2026
WELCOME
Grab your seat and get comfy for a day jam-packed with inspiration, education and networking.
Elevate Conference is about learning and making connections, so there will be ample time for you to catch up with old friends and make new connections while immersing yourself in photography brilliance. We can’t wait to see you there.
The Venue
Curzon Bloomsbury, The Brunswick Centre, London WC1N 1AW
About The Curzon
Small arthouse cinema, focused on independent films, with underground screens and bars. The venue has wheelchair-accessible seating and toilets.
Day One
9:00 Registration / Breakfast / Coffee
Doors open with a warm welcome for breakfast and coffee and registration
9:45 – 11:05 Session One
9:45 Take your seats | Welcome from your hosts:
Ash Davenport & Mick Shah
Ash and Mick will welcome you to Elevate 2026, set the tone for the days ahead, and cover the essentials. Including a friendly hello and a clear point to the fire exits, here, here and here.
Sponsor Highlight – Canon
Your camera system should allow you to be a creative first and a technician second. Canon builds tools you can trust completely, cameras that disappear in your hands and allow you to focus purely on storytelling. Their commitment to photographers, innovation, and reliability makes them a partner we believe in fully.
Dryden & Emily | Rooted in Story, Built for Scale
Dryden and Emily will explore what it takes to build a brand that is both creatively fulfilling and globally scalable. From their earliest inspiration to their current photo and video workflow, they’ll unpack how intentional growth, thoughtful storytelling, and respect for the client journey have helped shape Wild & Roam into a studio that travels the world without losing its soul.
Sponsor Highlight – ImagenAI
Since using Imagen, we have saved countless hours, improved consistency across our galleries, and gained back valuable time. It allows photographers to spend less time behind a screen and more time creating, living, and growing their business.
11:05 – 11:50 Break (45 mins)
Refreshments will be provided. If you’ve been to Elevate before, you know exactly what we mean.
11:50 – 13:15 Session Two
Sponsor Highlight – Pic-Time
Pic-Time transforms how photographers deliver, present, and sell their work. Their platform elevates the gallery experience, helping images live beautifully beyond delivery while creating meaningful opportunities for print sales and client connection.
Chenai Bukutu | In Perfect Focus, Elevating Weddings Through Planner–Creative Partnerships
Chenai from ByChenai Events, will offer a planner’s perspective on what makes photographers and filmmakers stand out. From communication and delivery to shared vision and trust, she’ll show how to become the kind of creative partner who gets referred again and again. For anyone aiming to build stronger relationships in the luxury market, this talk is essential.
Sponsor Highlight – Henley Albums
Henley Albums has taken the hassle out of selling albums while still delivering exceptional quality. They allow photographers to offer meaningful, tactile heirlooms to their clients without complexity, saving time while elevating the final experience.
Katie Julia | Light, Form, Feeling
Katie will explore the inspiration behind her approach and how she captures emotion through light, space, and movement. This talk offers insight into seeing with more intention and trusting your creative instinct to produce work that is both artistically refined and emotionally resonant.
13:15 – 14:45 Lunch (90 mins)
Take advantage of the great restaurants that are right on our doorstep, hang out at the Curzon and network or visit one our sponsors.
14:45 – 15:45 Session Three
Jeff Chang | Rethink Client Experience, Stories That Will Revolutionise Your Bookings
From photography duo, The Apartment, Jeff’s talk dives deep into how genuine client connection can become your most powerful business tool. Through real stories and practical insight, he’ll unpack how to create an experience that feels meaningful for your couples and transformational for your brand. Less fluff, more focus, and a sharper path to bookings that align with your vision and values.
15:45 – 16:30 Break (45 mins)
Refreshments will be provided.
16:30 – 18:00 Session Four
Day One finished at 18:00. Drinks follow immediately afterwards.
Pic-Time Storytelling Event
This is our legendary yearly event. We invite members of the audience to share the inspirational, meaningful, and impactful stories behind their most iconic photographs. Honest, emotional, and often unexpected, this session is a reminder of why we picked up a camera in the first place.
Speakers Q&A Panel
This is not a polite panel. Expect strong opinions, honest disagreement, and real conversation. No agreeing with each other for the sake of it. The first day panel lineup will be announced soon.
18:00 Bar Opens
Time to digest all the learning, have a drink and relax
Day Two
9:00 Coffee & Networking
Doors open with a warm welcome for coffee. Bar available.
10:00 – 11:10 Session One
10:00 Brief welcome from Ash & Mick
Ash and Mick will welcome you to Elevate 2026 Day 2 and set the tone for the day.
Sponsor Highlight – Canon
Your kit does not define you, but you do need to trust it completely. Canon builds tools that let you stay a creative first and a technician second, so you can focus on storytelling when it matters most.
Joel & Justyna | Two Perspectives, One Vision
Joel and Justyna will share the creative journey behind their long-standing partnership, and how their distinct perspectives harmonise to create emotionally rich imagery. From artistic influence to in-the-moment instinct, they’ll reflect on building a business that feels both sustainable and soulful, and how collaboration, when done right, can become your greatest creative strength.
Sponsor Highlight – Uncommon Sense
UncommonSense is a belt system that looks stylish but is genuinely useful for wedding photographers. Designed to carry lenses, batteries, cards, and essentials while still feeling like a considered fashion accessory.
11:10 – 11:50 Break (40 mins)
Refreshments available.
11:50 – 13:15 Session Two
Sponsor Highlight – Wedola
Wedola transforms how photographers manage their workflow, enquiries, and client communication. It brings structure, professionalism, and calm to the business side of creativity.
Hannah MacGregor | Hybrid Wedding Filmmaking, Go On, You Know You Want To Try It!
Hannah will demystify the art of hybrid shooting and show how solo photographers can confidently create highlight films without compromising the experience. From storytelling and audio to workflow and mindset, this talk gives you the confidence to step into a new lane and surprise yourself creatively.
Sponsor Highlight – StyleCloud
StyleCloud builds websites that convert with their unique easy-to-use WordPress system. They designed the MIKI Studios website, which we are incredibly proud of, as well as the Elevate website itself. Easy to manage, beautifully designed, and strategically structured so your site does more than look good, it works.
Speakers Q&A Panel
Panelists: Monika, Benjamin, and Anna (ohh.ginger).
Expect honest opinions, lived experience, and real discussion. This panel is not about consensus or playing it safe, it is about sharing what has actually worked, what hasn’t, and where the industry really is right now.
13:15 – 14:35 Lunch (80 mins)
Take advantage of the great restaurants that are right on our doorstep, hang out at the Curzon and network or visit one our sponsors.
14:35 – 15:50 Session Three
Melissa Love | How To Convert More Clients In The Scrolling Age
In this practical talk, Melissa Love breaks down how conversion actually works on a photography website and what your potential clients are thinking and doing when considering you.
You’ll learn where most photography websites lose potential clients and how to make small, strategic changes that lead to more bookings – without feeling salesy or overhauling your entire site.
Lewis Membery | The Power of Prioritising Human Connection
Lewis will explore why empathy is his strongest creative tool. This talk focuses on building trust, working with subtlety, and allowing connection to lead. Instead of chasing perfection, Lewis invites photographers to embrace instinct, presence, and the kind of storytelling that leaves room for meaning.
15:50 – 16:30 Break (40 mins)
Refreshments will be provided.
16:30 – 17:45 Session Four
Day two finished at 18:00. Drinks follow immediately afterwards.
Jackson Grant | Check Out Before You Check In
Jackson’s talk is a bold invitation to throw out the rulebook. He’ll challenge industry tropes, call time on shortcut culture, and offer a permission slip to reconnect with your personality and purpose.
Closing Remarks & The Future of Elevate
Our Partners
Elevate would not be possible without the support of these companies. We are truly very grateful for their support over the past few years. Please visit each of them and say hi.
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